Maybe another year

Sad news today from the Just Northwest offices. Do to some very unfortunate circumstances we won't be able to do the Wonderland Trail this year.

I am very very upset about this. I thought about doing it by myself, but decided that a 10 day solo backpack trip wasn't really the adventure I had in mind.

I wanted to share this trip with someone not just do it by myself. So I guess Jeff and I will have to try it another year.

Sad day.

Mount Rainier Wonderland Trail Preview 3

It's time for preview number three of the Wonderland Trail.

The Northern Rangers take off on our great Wonderland Trail adventure tomorrow.

The last two days I've previewed the history and facts about the Wonderland Trail and about wilderness permits and campgrounds on the trail.

Today I'll cover the gear that we'll be packing on the trip.

Gear for the trip

Like any mountain, the weather on Mount Rainier can change very quickly. And storms are a normal occurrence. Because of this, we have to plan ahead and use the Boy Scout motto. Be Prepared.

Here's what we will be bringing on the trip:

BACKPACK

• 1 backpack
• 1 backpack rain cover

CLOTHING (this includes what I will be wearing)

• 2 long sleeved shirts (synthetic, polyester material)
• 1 pair of hiking pants (Bear Grylls style)
• 1 pair of hiking shorts
  
• 3 pairs of underwear
• 4 pairs of smart wool socks
• 3 pairs of liner socks
  
• 1 pair of hiking boots (pre-broken in)
• 1 pair of sandals (or camp shoes)
• 1 brimmed hat
• 1 fleece
• 1 raincoat
• 1 stocking hat
• fleece gloves
  

OUTDOOR GEAR

• 1 pocket knife
• 1 first aid kit
• 1 stainless steel water bottle
• 1 headlamp (spare battery)
• 1 compass
• emergency blanket
• 1 canister bear spray
• trekking polls
• map
• small journal and pencil
• wallet-sized waterproof container (put in cash, credit card and photo ID)
• 1 roll duct tape
  

COOKING

• 1 camp stove
• gas for stove
• waterproof matches
• food (enough for trip, plus two emergency meals)
• water filter
• 1 heavy duty plastic spork
• snacks
• Gatorade powder
• 1 cooking pot
  

BED/SHELTER

• 1 tent (mine is REI quarter-dome three backpacking tent)
• 1 sleeping bag (temperature according to area)
• 1 sleeping pad (foam inside for insulation)
• 1 travel pillow

PERSONAL HYGIENE

• 1 tube toothpaste
• 1 toothbrush
• 1 roll toilet paper
• 1 stick deodorant
• 1 container dental floss
• 1 bottle fashwash
• hand sanitizer
  
• quick-dry towel
• 1 bottle sunscreen
• 1 bug spray
  

Mount Rainier Wonderland Trail Preview 2

Welcome to the second preview of the Wonderland Trail.

The Northern Rangers set off on our adventure later this week.

Until then, here's today's preview about how to obtain permits for the hike, as well as the campgrounds on the trail.

Wilderness Permits and Campgrounds

Wilderness permits are required for overnight camping year-round. These permits help to disperse traffic and keep track of users of the trail.

To obtain your permit, you must submit your application early. The first day the park starts accepting them is March 15 each year. However, the rangers don't begin processing permits until April 1. The way it works is all of the permits received between March 15 and April 1 are processed first, then the permits are gone through by date received after April 1.

For more information on how to apply for a permit visit the Mount Rainier National Park Wonderland Trail permit web site.

The Wonderland Trail has eighteen wilderness camps and three non-wilderness camps. Each campsite has designated tent sites, a vault toilet and water nearby (aka creek, river, stream).

The Mount Rainier National Park site lists each of the campsites and their elevation.

Hiking from Longmire in a clockwise direction, they are:

• Pyramid Creek- (no group site) 3,765 feet
• Devil's Dream- 5,060 feet
• South Puyallup River- 4,000 feet
• Klapatche Park- (no group site) 5,515 feet
• North Puyallup River- 3,750 feet
• Golden Lakes- 5,130 feet
• South Mowich River- 2,605 feet
• *Mowich Lake Campground- 4,929 feet
• Ipsut Creek Campground- 2,330 feet
• Carbon River- 3,195 feet
• Dick Creek- (no group site) 4,185 feet
• Mystic Camp- 5,570 feet
• Granite Creek- 5,765
• Sunrise Camp- 6,245
• *White River Campground- 4,280 feet
• Summerland- 5,940 feet
• Indian Bar- 5,120 feet
• Nickel Creek- 3,385 feet
• Maple Creek- 2,815 feet
• Paradise River- 3,805 feet
• *Cougar Rock Campground- 3,180 feet

* denotes non-wilderness campground

For the hike, we planned our route based on distance, as well as our own personal abilities in hiking. Since we are in hiking shape, this is how our trip itinerary turned out for campgrounds:

Day 1 - We'll leave the Mowich Lake Trailhead and set up camp at Carbon River Camp. Distance- 9 miles.

Day 2- Carbon River Camp to Granite Creek Camp. Distance- 9 miles.

Day 3- Granite Creek Camp to White River Camp. Distance- 9 miles.

Day 4- White River Camp to Indian Bar Camp. Distance- 9 miles.

Day 5- Indian Bar Camp to Maple Creek Camp. Distance- 13 miles.

Day 6- Maple Creek Camp to Pyramid Creek Camp. Distance- 14 miles.

Day 7- Pyramid Creek Camp to South Puyallup River Camp. Distance- 8 miles.

Day 8- South Puyallup River Camp to Golden Lakes Camp. Distance- 12 miles.

Day 9- Golden Lakes Camp to South Mowich River Camp. Distance- 7 miles

Day 10- South Mowich River Camp to Mowich Lake Trailheads. Distance- 3 miles

Total is 93 miles. Man am I excited.

Check back in tomorrow for another preview of the Wonderland Trail, with the gear to pack on the trip.

Mount Rainier Wonderland Trail Preview 1

Thursday the Northern Rangers will set off on our great adventure of 2010, the Wonderland Trail.

Our trip will last from July 22 - August 1. Each day this week, I'll be previewing the Wonderland Trail in preparing the readers for our trip.

On Thursday we'll head up to Mowich Lake and camp. Getting up early on Friday we'll hit the trail.

(And you can bet that there will be some great Northern Rangers videos when we get back)

Issues facing National Parks

National Geographic had a great post about the top ten issues facing the National Parks.

Here's their list:

1. Untold Stories
2. Crumbling History
3. Wildlife Management
4. Foreign Invaders
5. Adjacent Development
6. Climate Change
7. Water Issues
8. Air Pollution
9. Transportation Problems
10. Visitor Experience

What do you think of their list? And the big question is, do you visit National Parks? If so, which ones?

I mainly visit Mount Rainier National Park. That's because it's close to my location and is an awesome location. I love that park and all that it has to offer. This summer the Northern Rangers will be backpacking the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier. Complete with videos and posts.

Wonderland Trail Permits

You might be wondering where in the world have the Northern Rangers been? Well, the truth is we've been hitting the gym and bicycling. But don't worry, we'll be hiking again soon.

Mainly to help get us prepared for the Wonderland Trail.


That's right, Jeff and I got our permits.

I am pretty excited as this is not the easiest permit to obtain. We planned our route and sent in the application on March 15. That is the first day you could send them in. The rangers started reviewing the applications and granting permits to hikers on April 1. The trail is red line in the picture above.

And I'm so happy that we got our permit.

Here's what our trip looks like:

July 22- Mowich Lake Camp
July 23- Carbon River Camp
July 24- Granite Creek Camp
July 25- White River Camp
July 26- Indian Bar Camp
July 27- Maple Creek Camp
July 28- Pyramid Creek Camp
July 29- So. Puyallup River Camp
July 30- Golden Lakes Camp
July 31- So. Mowich River Camp
Aug 1-Mowich Lake Trailhead and out of the wild.

Check out a profile map of the trial here.

The map shows all of the elevation gains along the trail. It certainly isn't flat. That's why we have been training.

Here's what Mount Rainier National Park says about the trail:

The Wonderland Trail is 93 miles (150kms) long and encircles Mt. Rainier. It is a strenuous hike with lots of elevation gain and loss, through lowland forests and valleys and into high alpine and sub-alpine areas.

Perhaps the biggest aspect in planning to hike the Wonderland Trail is you knowing your hiking skills, abilities and habits. Rangers cannot tell you that. Nobody knows your skill level better than you. This is important when laying the foundation for your trip... selecting the proper distance between campsites.

Do you live and hike primarily in mountainous terrain and climates, or lower elevation areas? Hiking on flat terrain for 93 miles is far easier than having to climb up three thousand feet with a full pack day, after day, after day. This sounds like something that should not have to be stated, but we often see hikers going beyond their skill level. This usually leads to injury, illness, misery and an early end to a long-planned trip.

Oh, and we'll be documenting our whole trip with videos. So keep watching for those.

Hopefully we'll have better weather than last year. Fingers crossed.

Change of plans

After three days of hiking, the Northern Rangers have decided to postpone their Wonderland Trail adventure till next year. The reason: weather.

We hiked for three days in fog, mist and rain with ZERO views of Mount Rainier.

The reason we were hiking the Wonderland Trail was to enjoy the epic views of Mount Rainier. So, after two days of fog, and talking to several rangers about how it was supposed to be fog and rain the rest of the week, we decided it was time for a change of adventure.

We figured that we could complete the entire trail, but then we wouldn't have enjoyed any of the views that make what it is. So instead, we decided to push it till next summer where we hopefully will have better weather.

Our thoughts were that we could do the trail to say we did it. But then anytime anybody said, "I just did the Wonderland Trail. Didn't it have the best views?" And we'd have to answer, "All we saw was fog and rain." That we needed a new plan.

So now, we're off on a new adventure starting tomorrow for the rest of the week. We'll be heading down to Mount St. Helens. And you better believe we'll have some new Northern Rangers video of our adventures there.

I'll post the videos from our first three days later next week.

Oh, and our training worked out great. We had some pretty tough climbs on sections of the trail, but we did great and our legs were fine at the end of the day. So that was a plus.

Alright, we're off. Northern Rangers away!

The Wonderland Trail: Day 3

The Northern Rangers will be taking off from Sunrise and heading to Summerland.

We'll start at 6,245 feet at the Sunrise camp and head down for about six miles to 3,800 feet, and the base of Goat Mountain. We then promptly begin climbing again.

This time we'll the last five miles to Summerland upward and end at an elevation of 5,940 feet.

Start: Sunrise
End: Summerland Camp
Distance today: 11 miles
Total distance: 32 miles

The Wonderland Trail: Day 2

Today the Northern Rangers leave Dick Creek at 4,185 feet in elevation and head up to 6,000 feet before dropping down to 4,800 feet.

We promptly will be climbing up 6,400 feet before descending to Sunrise Camp.

Sunrise Camp is located next to Shadow Lake. And if you watched my previous video when we hiked around Sunrise last weekend, then you've seen the area.

There definitely will be a lot of people around here.

Start: Dick Creek Camp
End: Sunrise Camp
Distance today: 12 miles
Total distance: 21 miles

The Wonderland Trail: Day 1

Today the Northern Rangers will be hitting the trail bright and early. We have a nine mile day in store for us.

We entered the Wonderland Trail at the Mowich Lake Trailhead and are heading to Dick Creek Camp.

Mowich Lake is an elevation of 4,949 feet. From there we'll climb to about 5,300 feet before dropping down at a fast rate to 2,120 feet. We'll then head back up to Dick Creek at 4,185 feet.

Dick Creek Camp sits above the Carbon Glacier.

Start: Mowich Lake Trailhead
End: Dick Creek Camp
Distance today: 9 miles
Total distance: 9 miles

Today the adventure begins

Today is the day.

Our backpacks are packed with our kit.

Our shoes are tied tight.

Our hats are on.

We're ready to hit the Wonderland Trail.

It's time to test how our training has paid off. We first started our training back in March by summitting Tiger Mountain once or twice a week. We then moved to Poo Poo Point for a month and soon onto Mount Si twice. Next followed Mailbox Peak and hiking around Sunrise.

Now our real adventure begins. We are heading up to Mowich Lake to camp tonight, and then hit the trail tomorrow. Tune back in each day, as the site will be updating to show you where we are and what our route for the day looks like.

It's your way to keep track of the Northern Ranger's greatest adventure of 2009!

And from one of my favorite books and movies of all time, "Into the Wild."

Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier Preview 3

It's time for preview number three of the Wonderland Trail.

The Northern Rangers take off on our great Wonderland Trail adventure, on Friday, August 7.

The last two days I've previewed the history and facts about the Wonderland Trail and about wilderness permits and campgrounds on the trail.

Today I'll cover the gear that we'll be packing on the trip.

Gear for the trip

Like any mountain, the weather on Mount Rainier can change very quickly. And storms are a normal occurrence. Because of this, we have to plan ahead and use the Boy Scout motto. Be Prepared.

Here's what we will be bringing on the trip:

BACKPACK

• 1 backpack
• 1 backpack rain cover

CLOTHING (this includes what I will be wearing)

• 2 long sleeved shirts (synthetic, polyester material)
• 1 pair of hiking pants (Bear Grylls style)
• 1 pair of hiking shorts
  
• 3 pairs of underwear
• 4 pairs of smart wool socks
• 3 pairs of liner socks
  
• 1 pair of hiking boots (pre-broken in)
• 1 pair of sandals (or camp shoes)
• 1 brimmed hat
• 1 fleece
• 1 raincoat
• 1 stocking hat
• fleece gloves
  

OUTDOOR GEAR

• 1 pocket knife
• 1 first aid kit
• 1 stainless steel water bottle
• 1 headlamp (spare battery)
• 1 compass
• emergency blanket
• 1 canister bear spray
• trekking polls
• map
• small journal and pencil
• wallet-sized waterproof container (put in cash, credit card and photo ID)
• 1 roll duct tape
  

COOKING

• 1 camp stove
• gas for stove
• waterproof matches
• food (enough for trip, plus two emergency meals)
• water filter
• 1 heavy duty plastic spork
• snacks
• Gatorade powder
• 1 cooking pot
  

BED/SHELTER

• 1 tent (mine is REI quarter-dome three backpacking tent)
• 1 sleeping bag (temperature according to area)
• 1 sleeping pad (foam inside for insulation)
• 1 tarp
• 1 travel pillow

PERSONAL HYGIENE

• 1 tube toothpaste
• 1 toothbrush
• 1 roll toilet paper
• 1 stick deodorant
• 1 container dental floss
• 1 bottle fashwash
• hand sanitizer
  
• quick-dry towel
• 1 bottle sunscreen
• 1 bug spray
  

Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier Preview 2

Welcome to the second preview of the Wonderland Trail.

The Northern Rangers set off on our adventure on the trail on Friday, August 7.

Until then, here's today's preview about how to obtain permits for the hike, as well as the campgrounds on the trail.

Wilderness Permits and Campgrounds

Wilderness permits are required for overnight camping year-round. These permits help to disperse traffic and keep track of users of the trail.

To obtain your permit, you must submit your application early. The first day the park starts accepting them is March 15 each year. However, the rangers don't begin processing permits until April 1. The way it works is all of the permits received between March 15 and April 1 are processed first, then the permits are gone through by date received after April 1.

For more information on how to apply for a permit visit the Mount Rainier National Park Wonderland Trail permit web site.

The Wonderland Trail has eighteen wilderness camps and three non-wilderness camps. Each campsite has designated tent sites, a vault toilet and water nearby (aka creek, river, stream).

The Mount Rainier National Park site lists each of the campsites and their elevation.

Hiking from Longmire in a clockwise direction, they are:

• Pyramid Creek- (no group site) 3,765 feet
• Devil's Dream- 5,060 feet
• South Puyallup River- 4,000 feet
• Klapatche Park- (no group site) 5,515 feet
• North Puyallup River- 3,750 feet
• Golden Lakes- 5,130 feet
• South Mowich River- 2,605 feet
• *Mowich Lake Campground- 4,929 feet
• Ipsut Creek Campground- 2,330 feet
• Carbon River- 3,195 feet
• Dick Creek- (no group site) 4,185 feet
• Mystic Camp- 5,570 feet
• Granite Creek- 5,765
• Sunrise Camp- 6,245
• *White River Campground- 4,280 feet
• Summerland- 5,940 feet
• Indian Bar- 5,120 feet
• Nickel Creek- 3,385 feet
• Maple Creek- 2,815 feet
• Paradise River- 3,805 feet
• *Cougar Rock Campground- 3,180 feet

* denotes non-wilderness campground

For the hike, we planned our route based on distance, as well as our own personal abilities in hiking. Since we are in hiking shape, this is how our trip itinerary turned out for campgrounds:

Day 1 - We'll leave the Mowich Lake Trailhead and set up camp at Dick Creek. Distance- 9 miles.

Day 2- Dick Creek to Sunrise Camp. Distance- 12 miles.

Day 3- Sunrise Camp to Summerland. Distance- 11 miles.

Day 4- Summerland to Maple Creek. Distance- 14 miles.

Day 5- Maple Creek to Pyramid Creek. Distance- 15 miles.

Day 6- Pyramid Creek to Klapatche Park. Distance- 14 miles.

Day 7- Klapatche Park to Golden Lakes. Distance- 8 miles.

Day 8- Golden Lakes to Mowich Lake Trailhead. Distance- 10 miles.

Total is 93 miles. Man am I excited.

Check back in tomorrow for another preview of the Wonderland Trail, with the gear to pack on the trip.

Wonderland Trail Preview 1

Friday the Northern Rangers will set off on our great adventure of 2009, the Wonderland Trail.

Our trip will last from August 7 - August 15. Each day this week, I'll be previewing the Wonderland Trail in preparing the readers for our trip.

(And you can bet that there will be some great Northern Rangers videos when we get back)

Wonderland Trail permits

Many of you know that Jeff and I applied for permits to backpack the 93-mile Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier.

Well, I forgot to tell you readers last week that we got our approval notice! I am pretty excited as this is not the easiest permit to obtain. We planned our route and sent in the application on March 15. That is the first day you could send them in. The rangers started reviewing the applications and granting permits to hikers on April 1. The trail is red line in the picture above.

And I'm so happy that we got our permit.

Here's what our trip looks like:

Aug. 7- Mowich Lake Camp
Aug. 8- Dick Creek Camp
Aug. 9- Sunrise Walk-in Camp
Aug. 10- Summerland Camp
Aug. 11- Maple Creek Camp
Aug. 12- Pyramid Creek Camp
Aug. 13- Klapatche Park Camp
Aug. 14- Golden Lakes Camp
Aug. 15-Mowich Lake Trailhead and out of the wild.

Check out a profile map of the trial here.

The map shows all of the elevation gains along the trail. It certainly isn't flat. That's why we have been training.

Here's what Mount Rainier National Park says about the trail:

The Wonderland Trail (WT) is 93 miles (150kms) long and encircles Mt. Rainier. It is a strenuous hike with lots of elevation gain and loss, through lowland forests and valleys and into high alpine and sub-alpine areas.

Perhaps the biggest aspect in planning to hike the Wonderland Trail is you knowing your hiking skills, abilities and habits. Rangers cannot tell you that. Nobody knows your skill level better than you. This is important when laying the foundation for your trip... selecting the proper distance between campsites. Do you live and hike primarily in mountainous terrain and climates, or lower elevation areas? Hiking on flat terrain for 93 miles is far easier than having to climb up three thousand feet with a full pack day, after day, after day. This sounds like something that should not have to be stated, but we often see hikers going beyond their skill level. This usually leads to injury, illness, misery and an early end to a long-planned trip.

Our longest day is about 15-16 miles. So not too bad, expessially with all our training.

Oh, and we'll be documenting our whole trip like we do with the training hikes. So keep watching for those.

And if the weather is nice this afternoon, we'll be going on another training hike with a video.

The Kid Who Climbed Everest

Those readers who follow Just South of North on a regular basis will have noticed by now that we here at the blog think that Bear Grylls is pretty much the coolest dude ever.

Some people have even labeled us as having a "man crush" on him. No, that doesn't mean we are in love with Bear, that means we admire him.

According to Urban Dictionary, the definition of a man crush is: When a straight man has a "crush" on another man, not sexual but kind of idolizing him

Yes, it does appear that JustSoN has a man crush on Bear.

But why? Well, the answer to that question is simple. The man is a badass.

I recently bought one of his books through Amazon.com (It just arrived today, so that's what made me think of this post) and I am very excited to start reading it.

The book is "The Kid Who Climbed Everest: The Incredible Story of a 23-Year-Old's Summit of Mt. Everest."

Here's the synopsis: "Everest," writes British climber Bear Grylls, "is no place to prove yourself. The likelihood of reaching the summit is so slim that you're inevitably setting yourself up to be disappointed."

But, Grylls continues, mountains are most definitely an arena where alpinists express their deepest drives, and he had more ambition than most. Badly injured in a parachuting accident in 1996, he resigned his army commission and cast about for a new career--a decision he succeeded in putting off by enlisting in a climbing expedition to the world's tallest mountain. Now, Grylls points out, the odds of a well-conditioned climber's making the summit of Everest are something like one in a hundred; for climbers under the age of 30, who lack the experience and conditioning that age brings, those odds slim down to 1 in 1,000. Twenty-three at the time, Grylls took his chances nonetheless, despite the "sinking feeling that I had just made a commitment that was going to drag me a little too far out of my comfort zone."

The book sounds awesome. And once I'm done with it, you better believe I'll write my personal review on JustSoN. Also, I'm going to order one of his survival books. Because I figure what better way to learn all the traits of survival, then from the guy who constantly beats the wild in Man Vs. Wild.

And I got some Bear Grylls pants recently for camping in. They are a special brand from a UK company, Craghoppers. I'll get the chance to use them for the first time next week when Jeff and I continue our training for Mount St. Helens and the Wonderland Trail. After that I'll let you know how they work.